This blog is about home cooking, but there are many wonderful places to eat in Seattle and I find that my cooking is often inspired by the best food that I find in restaurants. These are a few of my favorites. I mostly eat on Capitol Hill but am willing to travel–even cross bridges–if you have great recommendations for me!
Casual
Cafe Presse. Get the sardine sandwich. Or anything, really.
I will drive to Ballard to eat at Carta Oaxaca. That is high praise.
Samurai Noodle
Bakery Nouveau for pastries and pizza
*The Crumpet Shop in Pike Place Market
Fancy (for Seattle)
Poppy is my favorite restaurant in Seattle
Monsoon might be a close second
*Sitka and Spruce
Anchovies and Olives
*Spur (a bar, so not fancy like a restaurant, but the food is both fancy and fanciful)
Sutra is a sweet little space with an amazing vegan set menu that changes every two weeks
Take-Away
Thai food from Little Uncle
Cafe Presse
*Baguette Box
*The starred places above are easy walking distance from downtown.
Emmy Cooks 
We were in Seattle last summer. I agree about Anchovies and Olives. It is a great food city.
I love Sutra in Wallingford. The food is beautiful, delicious, and I always feel good afterward.
We LOVE Sutra. Especially checking out the menu and trying to envision the dishes, then comparing our expectations to the real thing. And also especially the charming staff. And most especially the food. I’m adding this to the list now. Thank you for the reminder!
LOVE this! Andrew and I are headed to Seattle (he grew up on Whidbey Island) in July so I’ll revisit to know where to eat! Thank you!
What a beautiful place to get to go home to. Let me know if you end up wanting any particular kinds of recommendations–Seattle is a great place to eat and J & I have lots of frugal foodie faves. :)
Hey emmycooks – I just noticed your Seattle resto recommendations. I have some Toronto recommendations – and NYC – on v:gourmet. Love that you’re doing this and will have to check it out if I ever make it Seattle way.
My list of Seattle favs:
Volunteer Park Cafe for pizza, quiche, and delectable cookies.
Tin Table for their Floozy Burger with shoestring truffle frites (I think I would request this as my last meal)
Kabul in Wallingford for their melt-in-your-mouth eggplant.
Dilettante for their salted caramel martini and pork sliders.
Tolouse for their flaky biscuits and homemade garlic sausage.
Tamarind Tree for their chicken curry, fresh rolls, and papaya martinis.
Laurie, this is an awesome list! I haven’t been to Kabul, but I’m sold on any place that’s going to serve me great eggplant. The others are places I know, and I’m going to order some of your suggestions next time! Thank you for sharing your local tips with hungry Seattleites and travelers alike. :)
I love Poppy! I have been there a few times and even met Jerry Traunfeld the last time I was in. I also really love Spinasse, Blackboard Bistro and Olivar. There are just so many great restaurants in Seattle, it’s a good thing I’m not too far away!
Hi Emmy — Your blog is yummy, or at least the recipes seem so, and you make me miss Seattle. I used to live there. In another life, I shall live there again, and eat at the places you mentioned in your post. I’m new to your blog, but count on me to be a regular. Can’t wait to try some of your recipes.
Thanks so much! In the meanwhile it sounds like you’re having pretty amazing adventures elsewhere in the world. :)
This is a great list.
Skelly and the Bean is another super cool new restaurant in Seattle and has a great story behind it…http://www.skellyandthebean.com/
I am so excited to try Skelly and the Bean! I actually have a gift certificate that I bought at a fundraiser for my daughter’s school. I am going to have to go twice, though, because I want to try their regular menu AND the Malaysian food they sell at the Broadway Farmers Market.
Love this list! You are the 2nd person to tell me Poppy is amazing. Going there next time we go out for dinner :)
Lucky you! I love that place. And while the full thali experience is pretty great, we also love the more limited but cheaper happy hour menu that’s available in the bar after 9.
Emmy you are making me miss Seattle. I will be there in a few days and the first place I’m heading, straight from the ferry, is Cafe Presse. I have been craving their Croque Madame for months now. Thanks for this great list of local eats and for all the Capitol Hill love. Congrats on the Freshly Pressed and I look forward to trying some of your yummy recipes! -Rene
Have fun here! I miss Seattle too when I’m gone. :) Glad to hear you’ll be cooking along!
Love the list! I have to go to Seattle from time to time for work – will have to check some of these!! ;-) Lovely blog too – I also love to re-cook recipes that I have tasted at restaurants and loved ;-)